BLOEMFONTEIN, Free State — EmoyaMed Private Hospital has officially partnered with the Free State Department of Health to tackle a critical surgical backlog of more than 4,000 cataract and urology cases across the province. As part of a Mandela Month initiative, the Bloemfontein-based facility is providing specialized, cost-free surgeries to ease the mounting pressure on the public healthcare system and improve patient access to critical care.
The collaborative effort follows a plea from the health department, which has been grappling with a massive backlog, severe staff shortages, and infrastructure limitations, including the lack of readiness of government operating theaters.
Free State Health MEC Monyatso Mahlatsi confirmed that the department proactively approached EmoyaMed and other private facilities in the province to find immediate relief for patients on long waiting lists.
“We came here to witness the beginning of a number of procedures that the hospital is doing to assist us as the department of health in terms of our backlog, following the discussions that we’ve had with EmoyaMed and other private facilities in the province,” Mahlatsi said. He highlighted that ten patients requiring cataract removal and urological procedures were identified for this specific initiative, with the hospital covering all expenses so that patients “will not be paying a single cent.”
Mahlatsi also outlined a long-term strategy to permanently resolve the systemic issue. “We have budgeted to improve a number of our theaters so that we have a bigger number of theaters and can handle more workload in terms of operations,” he explained. While these infrastructure upgrades require careful preparation, the current private-sector arrangement ensures patients receive immediate assistance while preventing the backlog from recurring.
Dr. Vivian Simmons, a General Surgeon in Gastroenterology at EmoyaMed Private Hospital, expressed pride in the community-focused initiative. “We at EmoyaMed Private Hospital in Bloemfontein today are doing six surgeries free of charge for the patients and also for the government,” Dr. Simmons stated. He noted that patients have traveled from all over the province for the procedures, adding, “Hopefully this initiative will actually extend to other hospitals. Hopefully it will extend to a yearly or annual occurrence.”
The initiative has already begun delivering tangible results for residents. Patients receiving care expressed deep gratitude for the unexpected phone calls offering surgical assistance, noting that the administrative process was swift and highly satisfactory upon arrival. Many highlighted the positive impact of the private sector stepping up to support public health needs.
Moving forward, EmoyaMed Private Hospital announced it will conduct a comprehensive cost analysis of all the procedures performed. This evaluation will determine the viability of expanding the program and conducting additional free surgeries beyond the Mandela Month period.
